rethink.fm - The forward thinking podcast about technology and experience design.

The web belongs to all of us! We discuss the impact we can make together through experience research and design. Join Cathi Bosco and special guests to discuss experience design, AI, technology, and the intersection of helping people and global entrepreneurship.

Episode 43: Introducing the UX/AI Cooperative - Shaping the Future of Design Together with Kevin Schumacher 05/06/2025

Episode 43: Introducing the UX/AI Cooperative - Shaping the Future of Design Together with Kevin Schumacher The is a response to the rapid introduction of AI into the world of User Experience. It is similar to the UXPA or IXDA, but with the major difference being an invitation for developers, data scientists, and product managers to create a larger community. It’s a true cooperative in that we need everyone to contribute to form an open-source marketplace. The being launched by Kevin Schumacher, Jonathan Kempf, and a few others who share the same vision and understand the same world need. "Over the last couple of years there’s been a universal shift happening in the world of design, and most UX practitioners were too busy building prototypes and design systems in Figma to realize it was bleeding into our world. There’s a lot of work to do to build a non-profit organization, but we already have many people interested in helping build our initial infrastructure." - Co-founder, Kevin Schumacher AI is just raw power and potential right now, but that potentials too tempting and too enabling, because it lacks any real control or rules. From our community comes the only practitioners of a craft that focuses entirely on how technology affects human beings, and keeps their humanity sacrosanct. Being sensitive to human empathy couldn’t possibly be more important than it is at this moment. It’s a moment of reckoning for us. - UX/UI Cooperative NOTE: As the podcast grows, I’m also looking for sponsors who believe in thoughtful design, emerging tech, and meaningful conversations. If that sounds like you or your brand, ! Related interesting reads or resources Slack Groups: Communites: Some discord servers for creatives, but we are seeing a lack of cohesive community discussion around Design and AI. Midjourney Discord Server: This server is a hub for exploring AI-generated visual arts, with members discussing techniques and tools for image creation. Kaiber Discord Community: This community supports users in creating unique images from textual descriptions, offering guidance and inspiration. OpenArt AI: This platform is focused on AI-native social expression and entertainment, offering a new paradigm for art creation, according to their Discord server. Recraft Discord AI Bot: This bot allows users to generate AI art in Discord by using descriptive text prompts to create original images, vector art, illustrations, and 3D graphics. Book(s): - Patrick Neeman - Preston McCauley People: is an early tool creator using GPT like a madman - founder of AIverse - Director of AI & Emerging Technologies, Professor at SMU Website UX/AI Coop link: UX for AI: (Recommend) AIverse: (largest library of AI-UX interactions, run by Kshitij Agrawal) AI research in real time: Kevin's tools: Gemini Suite using Vertex for imagery Hailou Magic Patterns (love it - exports to Figma) UXPIlot - (More Figma goodness) Subframe - (big fan) Ontology Ontology A curated list of ontology things. Your contribution is welcome! /episode/index/show/rethinkfm/id/36459985

Episode 42: AI for UX Research with John Whalen, PhD 04/04/2025

Episode 42: AI for UX Research with John Whalen, PhD We are discussing the evolving landscape of AI in UX research, emphasizing the importance of adapting to new tools and methodologies. John Whalen, PhD is propelling professionals and businesses into the future through the potential of AI to streamline research processes, reducing a seven-week study to seven days. We share insights from his course, which covered prompt engineering, AI-moderated interviews, and Agents (synthetic users). He notes the skepticism among researchers but stressed the benefits of AI in scaling and cost-saving. Whalen also addresses ethical considerations and the need for researchers to embrace AI while maintaining a real human connection. We are excited about the potential for multi-agent systems and discuss the importance of security in AI tools. John’s courses empower professionals and businesses to: Learn better prompt engineering techniques. Try AI-moderated interview tools and understand their capabilities and limitations. Explore and experiment with AI-powered synthesis and data interrogation tools to scale research efforts. Investigate the potential of synthetic users and agents to guide research and product development. Develop a research plan that incorporates a mix of human-led and AI-assisted research methods. As the podcast grows, I’m also on the lookout for sponsors who believe in thoughtful design, emerging tech, and meaningful conversations. If that sounds like you or your brand, Related interesting reads or resources Join John Whalen, PhD, to explore the future of customer research, AI-powered insights, and human-centered design. Whether it’s an AI + UX Coffee Talk or a Maven Lightning Lesson, each event sparks new ideas and gives you practical strategies to apply immediately. – John Whalen, PhD User experience doesn’t happen on a screen; it occurs in the mind, and the experience is multidimensional and multisensory. This practical book will help you uncover critical insights about how your customers think so you can create products or services with an exceptional experience. for Customer Research An agency with bespoke research services, founded by John Whalen, PhD. Join John Whalen, PhD, to explore the future of customer research, AI-powered insights, and human-centered design, whether it’s an AI + UX Coffee Talk or a . Additional book recommendations: by Ethan Mollick Working and thinking with AI. Concepts of Centaur and Cyborg (different approaches to partnering with AI). Thinking about how brains are designed and therefore how AI should be built. A great book on how we think and our two systems of processing information. /episode/index/show/rethinkfm/id/36009230